Red Sox Game Day Connections: Game 74, San Diego Padres

Source: Johnny5s.blogspot.com, unsure about original ownership of image.

Rod Beck died unexpectedly in 2007 at the age of 38, allegedly(according to his then girlfriend) due to drug use. Following his death, he was added to the 2008 ballot of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as sometimes happens when a player dies young. Though he last played in the big leagues in 2004, it was clear his big league career was probably over.

So, the question is there. How did Rod Beck earn 2 votes for the Hall of Fame? Was it the 286 career saves? No, I don’t think it was. It was the incredible mustache, mullet, and overall persona that was Rod Beck that warranted two votes for the Hall of Fame. In one of his last years playing, he lived in a motor home behind his home ballpark, and interacted with fans after games. This guy was a player from a different era, living it up. He may not be a Hall of Famer, but there’s no doubt he’d be in the first class of the Hall of Awesome.

His career was winding down when he played with the Red Sox and then the Padres, but the mullet and mustache flowed on. His career 3.30 ERA is something both teams wouldn’t mind having in their bullpen for this afternoon game.